Hundreds of people rallied on the steps of San Antonio's federal courthouse downtown last night to blast President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and toss the issue of Congress, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Many of the people who are protected from deportation by DACA said they fell like true U.S. residents and don't plan to 'go anywhere.'
Many people spoke out about the economic impact the potential deportation of the estimated 120,000 DACA recipients in Texas would have on the state's economy. There are a total of 800,000 people covered by DACA nationwide.
"These are the shining stars of America at this point," said Gabriel Velasquez, the executive director of the Guadalupe Center.
He pointed out that in order to qualify for DACA, young people who came here with their illegal immigrant parents have to prove that they have a good record in school, or are employed, and have no run its with the law.
"These are, by any definition, great Americans," Velazquez said. "If there were ever a gift given to this nation, it would be a gift of these youth."
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) says there is concern that the decision will damage efforts to fight crime in the U.S., because 'Dreamers' and their relatives will be afraid to report crime or come forward as witnesses out of concern that they will end up deported.
"This is going to be a serious impediment to reporting crime on all levels," he said. "This is going to hurt communities."
But many 'Dreamers' said this is an opportunity for them, because the DACA program itself is temporary, and because it was an executive order and not a law, they have always known that it could be rescinded at any time. They tell News Radio 1200 WOAI they are looking forward to Congress acting to make the program permanent, and by including a 'path to citizenship' for DACA recipients, which is currently not allowed under the executive order.
George Rodriguez, a prominent conservative activist, praised the President's decision to end DACA in six months, and blasted the media for not searching out conservative Latino viewpoints.
"We must stop excusing and rewarding any and all type of illegal immigration, including minors. We must also discourage the US from becoming the world's orphanage where any child is sent here ILLEGALLY to be raised by taxpayers," he said.